Wall-mounted range hood

ABSTRACT

A wall-mounted range hood for the collection and exhausting of fumes includes a mounting board that is affixed to a wall adjacent to and above a select area (cooking area) and where an exhaust assembly fits onto the mounting board by engagement with supporting hardware located thereon, and where the shroud is also mountable onto the mounting board by engagement with reverse angles located in compatible orientation between the top of the mounting board and the top of the shroud.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to range hoods for collecting fumes in akitchen environment. Various types of fumes arise from the cookingprocess; some of which are merely the evaporation of water andwater-soluble materials, while other fumes are noxious or even toxic.The origin of the cooking process no doubt arose during pre-historictimes when hunting became a successful strategy for feeding early man.Once the “kill” was brought back to their encampment, someone eventuallythought of placing it over the fire, thus resulting in the first effortsin the culinary arts.

Over time, the cooking process did not so much evolve, as did the methodfor creating a cooking place. Open campfires moved inside, where thehearth of a fireplace was not only used to heat the interior of a homeor an inn, but it also offered a place for food to be prepared. At somepoint the carcass of the kill was replaced with more artful foodpreparations, which now required the use of hardware for placing thefood into the cooking environment. Changes occurred in this environmenttoo, with modifications for improving the access and use of the cookingarea and with the introduction of crude ovens for baking other products.These wood fired applications necessitated the usage of chimneys todraft away the combustion products. Sufficient sizing of the combustionarea was needed to ensure that the fire would burn properly and that itwould be contained and not burn down the residence. Thus crudecollection of the smoke and other gases developed without real regard tothe cooking process itself

Obviously the days of wood fired cooking in the home have passed andelectric and natural gas-fired cooking stations are the dominantinstallations found in modern homes. The need for exhausting hugevolumes of air has also passed since electric and natural gasapplications, by themselves, do not produce much in the way of toxic ornoxious products. It is now the by-products of the cooking processitself that set the parameters for fume collection and exhaust. Theseby-products include gases that emanate from the food as it is cooked aswell as particulates that are ejected from the cooking process, such asgrease or oil droplets. The objectives of fume control are now moredirected at the comfort level of the user and less concerned with safetyand fire control issues.

The modern usage of fume control and collection in cooking applicationsextends across a range of applications. Home use is one area, however,the most comprehensive and sophisticated control and collection systemsare in use in commercial applications such as restaurants orinstitutions like hospitals or long term care facilities. These systemshave introduced a large number of features that are not needed in thehome environment, such as fire suppression and draft controls, however,the basic hood construction is not necessarily all that different inmany commercial applications than those found in home use. The prior artfor hood construction for cooking surfaces includes systems that arebased on a support frame that is mounted to a wall. In one suchcommercial use, the frame is anchored to the wall and is reinforcedusing vertical supports. The bulk of the hood itself is cantileveredover the cooking area reducing the need for vertical supports at thefront of the system that would pose an obstruction to the user. Theframe is then covered with compatible “skin” such as stainless steelsheet.

A very popular wooden range hood for home use is either purchased aspart of or is compatible with factory made cabinet construction, or itis built on site. In either event, such units require a great deal ofcarpentry skills in order to successfully mount the range hood in place.For example, the internal exhaust components are hung within the spaceabove the cooking surface. Typically, framework is supplied with theexhaust units that work within standard widths. Once installed, theassembly of these components remains exposed with the fume collectorportion of the exhaust unit positioned appropriately and with theexhaust ducting and fan and motor located above. A compatible wood frontis then fastened over the internal assembly, covering up the componentsand providing a cosmetic transition between adjacent cabinets. Thewooden front is typically fastened in place by threading screws throughan interior frame and into the adjacent cabinets.

Drawbacks in the conventional range hoods include the complexity of theinstallation of the units. Even when this occurs in new construction,the number of steps involved render it a time consuming event and thepotential for errors in misalignment are great. At a later date, shouldthe exhaust components need to be repaired, cleaned or replaced, thenthe ability to easily accomplish this task is frustrated again by themethod of installation.

There are other range hoods that are offered for use in the residentialkitchen. These units are typically fabricated from sheet metal and havea collector that spans the area of interest over the cook-top. Thecollector transitions into a duct that then runs through the ceiling andto an exhaust somewhere to the exterior. Unlike the range hoods withwooden fronts, these units are suspended from above the ceiling and donot represent the same type of considerations. For example, a metal hoodsystem can be used over an island installation in the middle of thekitchen. No need exists for cosmetic transition between adjacentcabinets in situations such as this since there are no adjacentcabinets.

Lastly, a third type of range hood is provided for home applications,one that is basically an exhaust system that mounts directly underneatha cabinet. Some cabinet manufacturers supply a short cabinet forinstallation over a cook-top. This does provide some additional storagespace, however it is difficult to use given the fact that access to thecabinet commences at a height greater than normal and the cookingsurface itself may pose an obstruction to being able to conveniently usethe cabinet. Notwithstanding, a so-called range hood is made for suchinstallation but most that are provided are actually recirculationsystems. The fan will pull a draft above the cooking area and then routeit through an activated carbon pack before returning it in some fashionto the air in the kitchen. The advantage in these units is the lowprofile they have and they do reduce some of the emissions involved inthe cooking to a limited extent. Eventually, however, the carbon packsbecome saturated and/or fouled and really do not work as intended. Theuser is left to replace the carbon packs or to leave the unit operatingas is.

Aside from the fact that the recirculating range hoods do not exhaustthe fumes, they do represent a method for mounting a system in betweenthe adjacent cabinets. The mounting method though is very much the sameas explained for the conventional wood front units described above,requiring the screwing of side frames into the sidewalls or frames ofthe adjacent cabinets. In some cases, these low profile range hood doprovide for direct exhausting of fumes. In this event, the output fromthe fan is ducted upwards into the cabinet above through a duct that isrouted out the top of the cabinet and towards an exterior exhaust.Installation of the basic components remains essentially the same.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome some of thedifficulties in the installation of range hoods, in particular woodfronted range hoods. It is also a goal of the present invention toprovide a range hood that can be quickly and easily hung in place with aminimum of critical potential errors for misalignment. Lastly, anotherone of the many benefits of the present invention is the ability toprovide a sequence of instructions to a person who does not normallyinstall cabinets, so that a real do-it-yourself option is created forthose who wish to avoid the costs of hiring a contactor to take on thejob.

These and many other benefits of the present invention will be disclosedin more detail below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new range hood in accordance with the present invention comprises awall mount, an exhaust unit, and a shroud, where the wall mount ismounted to a wall above a cooking area at a height appropriate formounting a range hood. The exhaust unit is mountable to the wall mountand the shroud is then positionable onto the wall mount in a way tocover the wall mount and the exhaust unit, the wall mount holding theshroud in place until it can be securely fastened.

A chimney may be supplied with the range hood of the present invention,where the chimney extends between the top of the shroud and the ceilingimmediately above the cooking area.

The range hood of the present invention is also prepared as a kitwhereby the wall mount, the exhaust unit, and the shroud are providedalong with instructions for mounting the range hood, the stepscomprising:

-   -   mounting the wall mount to a wall above a cooking area at a        height appropriate for mounting a range hood;    -   preparing a liner and blower assembly;    -   fastening at least two mounting brackets to the liner and blower        assembly at predetermined locations;    -   aligning the mounting brackets affixed to the liner and blower        assembly to predetermined locations on the wall mount;    -   connecting the mounting brackets to the wall mount;    -   positioning the shroud onto the wall mount, supporting the top        of the shroud therefrom;    -   aligning the shroud while suspended from the wall mount so as to        cover and enclose the liner and blower assembly; and,    -   fastening the liner and blower assembly to the shroud.

The method of the present invention also includes the steps necessary tomount a chimney section between the top of the shroud and the ceilingabove a cooking area.

The range hood of the present invention also includes other variationsand features that allow it to be easily installed and to minimize errorsin the installation process. These variations and features will bedisclosed in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded isometric view of the range hood of the presentinvention with a chimney.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a shroud for a range hood of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the backside of a mounting board fora range hood of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows the mounting board of FIG. 3 being mounted onto a stud wallconstruction.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a liner and blower assembly for arange hood of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a portion of the perspective view of FIG. 5 disclosing anexample where the liner and blower meet and are fastened together.

FIG. 7 shows a portion of the perspective view of FIG. 5 disclosing anexample where the mounting bracket and the liner meet and are fastenedtogether.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a liner and blower assembly for arange hood of the present invention where the mounting brackets areinstalled onto the top of the liner.

FIG. 9 shows the liner and blower assembly of FIG. 8 with the mountingbrackets being mounted onto the mounting board.

FIG. 10 shows a side cross-sectional view of a top portion of the shroudand the top portion of the mounting board as mounted onto a wall,indicating by arrow how the shroud is supported on the top of themounting board.

FIG. 11 shows a portion of the underside of an installed range hood ofthe present invention disclosing how the liner is fastened to the insideof the shroud.

FIG. 12 shows an exploded isometric view of a chimney assembly for arange hood of the present invention, disclosing the chimney mountingboards in locations for mounting the chimney thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A new range hood in accordance with the present invention exhibits animproved set of components that can be assembled easily and efficiently,and then easily and efficiently installed in a location above a cookingsurface. The range hood of the present invention may be supplied as partof a cabinet system to be installed by a contractor homebuilder, or, therange hood may be offered as a kit for installation by a do-it-yourselfhandyman type of person.

Turning to FIG. 1, a wall mounted range hood 10 is generally comprisedof a shroud 12, a blower 14, a liner 16 and a mounting board 20. In someinstallations, it may be that general assembly is sufficient to completean installation, however, if the top of the shroud does not meet theceiling, then the usage of a chimney 18 and associated chimney mountingboards 24, may be used to transition between the shroud and the ceiling.For the purposes of describing the invention herein, it will beunderstood that the chimney may or may not be required depending on thesizing of the range hood components and the circumstances of anindividual installation.

The components of the range hood shown in FIG. 1 are shown in anexploded orientation relative to their position in the total assembly.Individually, the shroud 12 is seen in FIG. 2 and includes the collectorportion 30, the transition portion 32 and the chimney opening 34. Theshroud is shown in a wood treatment that matches a molding style that isselected to be consistent with the cabinet and molding treatments usedin the overall kitchen installation.

In FIG. 3, a mounting board 20 includes a mounting board back 40 (themounting board in this view is shown from the backside), a board top 42,a board top angle 44, mounting board sides 46, and with T-nuts 48 whichare inserted into associated through holes 50. The T-nuts are exemplaryof the type of hardware that may be used in this instance; what isrequired is some hardware that is competent to support the exhaustassembly of the present invention, as will be seen below. It is notedthat the mounting board is constructed of wood in the preferredembodiment, however it could also be fabricated from other materials,including but not limited to, plastic or steel.

FIG. 4 shows a mounting board 20 positioned for installation onto a studwall. The stud wall is comprised of the studs 56 and is covered by thewallboard 58. In this view, the mounting board front 52 can be seenalong with the wood screws 54 that are aligned for installation into themounting board and into the studs. Also shown are the though holes 50which will retain the hardware (T-nuts) that will be used for theinstallation of the mounting brackets 22 onto the mounting board. Thewood screws securely fasten the mounting board to the wall if they tapinto the studs. This consideration is a fairly common installationtechnique for do-it-yourself applications that rely on the strength ofthe screw fastened to the stud to ensure the integrity of the finishedproject. While it is not shown in the view, the mounting board istypically located at a desired location above a cooking surface. Manytimes the cooking surface is a range that includes a number of burners,either gas or electric, and also an oven. The height of cooking surfacesusually is maintained close to three feet from the floor, although thiswill vary for each installation and for each type of cooking surfaceemployed. A range hood will typically commence at about two feet abovethe cooking surface although it can certainly be higher than this withadjustments made for exhaust velocity and volumes. The height of a rangehood may then extend for another three feet or so and meet the ceiling(dependent also on the existence or lack of bulkheads) or as indicatedabove the range hood may terminate before it meets the ceiling in whichcase a chimney can be used to transition the gap in between.

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, show the blower and liner assembly with themounting brackets installed and in FIG. 9, as installed on the mountingboard. In particular, the blower 14 includes the blower collector 60,the blower front 62, the blower side(s) 64, the blower housing 66, theblower transition 68, and the blower collector flange 70. The blowercollector flange also shows the nuts 72 disposed at points along itslength. Along the blower side(s) there are the pre-drilled holes 74.Lastly, the blower duct 76 is shown exited the top of the blower housing66.

In FIG. 6, a closer view of the fit between the blower and the liner isseen, where the blower housing 66 sits within the blower collectoropening 78 and is secured with stud 82 that is threaded through thecollector flange hole(s) 71 with the head of the stud to the inside ofthe blower housing and with the threaded end of the stud exposed to theexterior and capped with a nut 72. Also, the blower collector holes 73are shown as being disposed on the blower collector and as will be seenbelow, these will line up with the holes in the mounting brackets.

In FIG. 7, the mounting bracket 22 is shown being connected to the topof the blower collector through pre-drilled mounting bracket holes 94.In this case, stud(s) 96 are threaded through the pre-drilled holes withthe threaded ends exposed to the exterior of the blower collector. Thestuds are secured by nut(s) 98 which affixes the mounting bracket(s) tothe blower collector. Also shown is the mounting bracket flange 90 whichcontains the mounting bracket holes, and the mounting bracket body 92.

The assembly in FIG. 8 reveals the combination of the blower beingconnected to the liner as well as the mounting brackets being connectedto the liner. The mounting brackets are further shown with the mountingflange 100 and the keyholes 102. FIG. 9 takes the assembly one stepfurther with the inclusion of the mounting board 20 where the mountingbrackets are lined up such that the keyholes are aligned with thethrough holes of the mounting board.

The fit between the shroud 12 and the mounting board 20 is shown in FIG.10 where the shroud and mounting board are both shown in cross section.The shroud includes the shroud top 110, the shroud backplate 112, andthe shroud backplate angle 114. The mounting board is shown as beingmounted to the wall 116. When the shroud is positioned onto themounting, this occurs by having the shroud backplate angle engage thecorresponding top angle 44 on the mounting board. This convenientlysupports the shroud while its alignment with the blower and linerassembly is adjusted.

The underside of the range hood of the present invention can be seen inFIG. 11, with the shroud 12, the blower collector 60 and blower side(s)64. The pre-drilled holes 74 can be seen also in close proximity to theinterior sides of the shroud collector. The collector screws 120 arethen inserted into the pre-drilled holes that fastens the blower andliner assembly to the shroud.

Lastly, FIG. 12 shows the chimney portion of the range hood.Specifically, the chimney 18 includes the chimney front 130, the chimneysides 132, and the chimney bracket 134. Associated with the chimney arethe mounting boards 24 which include the upper mounting board 140, thelower mounting board 142, the board face 144, and where each mountingboard has a pair of board brackets 146. The chimney brackets do alignwith the spaced board brackets and when the two meet, they becomeengaged and retain the chimney in the desired position. While it is notshown, there are a pair of chimney brackets near the top of the chimneyand a pair located near the bottom of the chimney section.

As can now be appreciated, the range hood of the present inventionallows for efficient and easy installation. Once the location of thecooking surface has been established, assuming this is not an island orpeninsula, the components of the range hood can be staged for mounting.The height of the range hood is selected and the mounting board ismounted to the wall at the corresponding point. The mounting board, asmentioned above, is preferably secured to studs within the wall so as toensure that the installation will adequately handle the weight of theassembly.

The liner and blower are brought together by inserting the blower intothe collector opening and securing it with fasteners. Additionally, themounting brackets are then placed in position on the liner and the holeson both the mounting brackets and the liner are aligned, then themounting bracket is fastened.

The assembled blower and liner can be set aside while screws (T-nuts)are inserted into the through holes on the mounting board. These screwswill typically have heads that will compatibly insert into and engagethe keyholes in the mounting brackets. Thus when they are engaged intothe mounting board, they can be left partially undone with enoughclearance to allow the blower and liner assembly, with the mountingbrackets thereon, to be initially mounted onto the mounting board. Theholes and alignment of components are all pre-arranged so that noadjustments should be needed at this point, just tightening of thefasteners.

Continuing the installation process, the shroud is positioned to engagethe mounting board top which with the complementary angles between theshroud backplate and the mounting board top will allow the shroud to besupported. This again, simplifies the handling of the components so thatthe shroud and the liner can be fastened.

The consideration remains whether or not to use a chimney. The top ofthe shroud has an opening in which the chimney can be inserted, however,the chimney is alignable with previously installed chimney mountingboards (upper and lower) so that the corresponding brackets will be inproximity and can be engaged when the chimney is pressed into place. Thechimney length can be adjusted to fit each individual application bymerely just trimming one end. As alluded to above, the chimney might notbe required in some application where a bulkhead exists or where theceiling height and the height of the shroud do not require any extension(chimney) to transition in between.

The installation of the range hood is essentially complete althoughthere has been no discussion about the electrical and ventingrequirements. These functions remain the same as conventional rangehoods and it is understood that the connections and fitting of each isto be done at the time the blower and liner assembly is in place andprior to the installation of the shroud.

The range hood of the present invention preferably uses a wood shroudsince that is the main cosmetic selection of purchasers. It is notnecessary to practice the preferred embodiment with a wooden shroudsince a metal shroud would also work equally well. In addition, acombination of wood and metal treatment for the shroud may also beconsidered without departing from the spirit and teachings herein.

The range hood may be packaged as a kit for use by do-it-yourself homeimprovement aficionados. The easier and user friendly installationmethod allows this option to be explored since the need to have fairlysignificant carpenter skills and/or equipment is minimized to a processthat now can be completed in many instances, with nothing more than atape measure, a drill and a screwdriver.

The teachings of the present invention are not meant to be restrictive,but are intended to illustrate the variations on the scope of theembodiments discussed herein.

1. A wall-mounted fume hood for collecting and exhausting fumes over aselect area comprising: A mounting board for mounting to a wall aboveand adjacent to a select area to be exhausted at a height and locationappropriate for the collection of flumes; An exhaust portion; A shroudportion covering the mounting board and the exhaust portion; and, Wherethe exhaust portion and the shroud portion are supported by saidmounting board.
 2. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number 1,where it further includes a chimney portion.
 3. A wall-mounted flumehood according to claim Number 2, where said chimney is sized forinstallation between the top of said fume hood and the ceiling above theselect area.
 4. A wall-mounted flume hood according to claim Number 1,where said shroud portion is mountable onto said mounting board byreversible engagement with reverse angles between said shroud portionand said mounting board.
 5. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claimNumber 1, where the exhaust portion is reversibly mounted onto saidmounting board by engagement with supporting hardware installed inaligned fashion on said mounting board.
 6. A wall-mounted fume hoodaccording to claim Number 5, where the exhaust portion further includesat least a pair of mounting brackets for engagement with said supportinghardware.
 7. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number 1, wherethe shroud portion and the exhaust portion are reversibly installableonto the mounting board.
 8. A wall-mounted fume hood for collecting andexhausting fumes over a select area comprising: A mounting board formounting to a wall adjacent to and above a select area and at a heightappropriate for the operation of the fume hood; An exhaust portionmountable onto a mounting board affixed to said wall; A shroud portionfor covering said mounting board and said exhaust portion and where saidshroud portion is mountable onto said mounting board; and Where ach ofsaid exhaust portion and said shroud portion are reversibly installableonto said mounting board.
 9. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claimNumber 8, where it further includes a chimney sized for installationbetween the top of said fume hood and the ceiling above a select area.10. A method for installing a wall-mounted fume hood above a selectarea, the steps of which comprise: Determining the desired location forsaid fume hood to a wall; Affixing a mounting board to the wall inaccordance with the desired location of the fume hood; Providingsupporting hardware at designated locations on the mounting board;Assembling an exhaust portion for said fume hood; Mounting said exhaustportion assembly onto the mounting board by engagement with saidsupporting hardware; Fastening said exhaust portion assembly to themounting board; Connecting all exhaust and electrical fittings and/orsupplies; Mounting a shroud portion onto said mounting board therebycovering the mounting board and the exhaust portion assembly; and,Fastening said exhaust portion assembly to said shroud portion.
 11. Amethod for installing a wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number10, further including the steps: Obtaining a sized chimney portioncompatible with installation to the wall; Mounting said chimney portionbetween the top of the flume hood and the ceiling above the select area.12. A method for installing a wall-mounted fume hood according to claimNumber 10, where the exhaust portion assembly further includes mountingbrackets for engagement with said supporting hardware.